Keanu Reeves Bought His Beloved Mom a House Even Before He Bought One for Himself

Stories of Keanu Reeves' kindness know no limit. The actor is often praised for being respectful of his fans, frequently posing for photos, and signing autographs for them. The Hollywood star is also incredibly humble and does kind things without fuss. "I have a private foundation that's been running for five or six years, and it helps aid a couple of children's hospitals and cancer research," Reeves said in a Ladies Home Journal article from 2009, according to Snopes. "I don't like to attach my name to it, I just let the foundation do what it does." Reeves knows all too well how cancer can take a toll on people that have been diagnosed with it. His younger sister, Kim Reeves, was reportedly diagnosed with leukemia around 1991 and battled the disease for nearly a decade. Ever since then he's been secretly funding children’s hospitals and cancer research for years.

The actor has been through tons of struggles and heartbreak in his life and that perhaps is the driving force behind his generosity and mission to spread his wealth. “Keanu’s given away a lot of money and done a lot more for people than most will ever know,” a family friend told The Post. “He knows how lucky he is. Unlike many Hollywood mega stars, he never takes any of this for granted.” It is estimated that the actor has made around $315 million. “He’s somewhat embarrassed about that,” the friend said.

In a moving gesture, the Matrix star bought his mother, costume designer Patricia Taylor, a home in Los Angeles before purchasing one for himself and his two sisters. “Keanu and two of his sisters — Kim and Karina — are very close,” said the family friend. Reeves was raised by his mother while his father was pretty much absent in his life. The actor proved that his mother was an important person in her life by bringing her to the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020. Everyone expected the star to bring his girlfriend, Alexandra Grant, as his date for the Oscars. But he proved why he is everyone's favorite guy when he turned up with his mom.

Reeves's father got arrested in 1994 after he was found possessing large quantities of drugs and was sentenced to ten years in prison. He eventually passed away in 2018. Reeves suffered several heartbreaks in his life including in 1993, when his best friend and My Own Private Idaho co-star, River Phoenix, died of a drug overdose. A few years later, his 28-year-old girlfriend Jennifer Syme, an assistant to director David Lynch, gave birth a month early to their daughter Ava but the baby was stillborn. Her death took a toll on their relationship. And while they split initially, they reconciled later. Syme passed away on April 1, 2001, after crashing into a line of parked cars in Los Angeles.

“If Ava’s death wasn’t devastating enough, he’d considered Jennifer his soulmate,” a colleague said. “He had some seriously dark days after that.” Currently, the actor is in a low-key relationship with 49-year-old American visual artist Alexandra Grant and appears to be happy in his life. Keanu, 58, and Grant, 49, have been together as a couple since 2018, and Reeves is believed to have secretly proposed to her. The wedding will be an intimate ceremony and take place outdoors before a small group of family and friends.

References:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/keanu-reeves-tragic-story/

https://pagesix.com/2022/01/18/keanu-reeves-embarrassed-by-money-giving-it-away-sources/

Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Amy Sussman